扭 meaning and stroke order
To turn; to twist; to wring
How to write 扭, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 扭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to turn
- to twist
- to wring
- to sprain
- to swing one's hips
How 扭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 丑 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 扭
扭 is pictophonetic: the hand radical 扌 shows the action is done by hand, and 丑 (chǒu) hints at the sound niǔ. Picture a hand gripping something and twisting it hard.
扭 is used for physical twisting, like turning your head, wringing, or spraining a joint, and it also appears in abstract words like 扭转 (niǔzhuǎn, to turn a situation around) and 扭曲 (niǔqū, to distort). Example: 我打球的时候扭伤了脚。 (Wǒ dǎ qiú de shíhou niǔshāng le jiǎo.) I sprained my ankle playing ball.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 扭 with 纽 (niǔ, button, knot), which has the same sound and phonetic 丑 but uses the silk radical 纟. Use 扭 for the twisting action and 纽 for things like 纽扣 (niǔkòu, button).
Common words with 扭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
扭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 扭
How many strokes are in 扭?
扭 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 扭 mean?
扭 (niǔ) means to turn; to twist; to wring. A common word with it is 扭曲 (niǔqū), meaning "to twist; to warp".
How do you pronounce 扭?
扭 is pronounced niǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 扭?
The radical of 扭 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 扭 under this radical.
Is 扭 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 扭 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why is 别扭 pronounced bièniu and not bièniǔ?
In 别扭 the second syllable is usually read in the neutral tone, so it sounds light: bièniu. It means awkward or uncomfortable, and 闹别扭 (nàobièniu) means to have a falling out or sulk with someone.
What is the difference between 扭 and 转 (zhuǎn)?
转 is a general word for turning or rotating, while 扭 suggests twisting with force or against a natural position, often by hand or with the body. You say 扭头 (niǔtóu) for turning your head quickly, and 扭腰 for swinging your hips.